Home of the Corkscrew and American historic racing.
All photos by Mitchell Weitzman
A longtime staple of Monterey Car Week, the Monterey Motorsports Reunion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca continues to be a highlight of accessible enjoyment during this increasingly expensive week of automotive festivities. With Quail tickets soaring above $1,000, and Pebble Beach getting close, the Reunion seems somewhat reasonable now with tickets still starting below $100. For that not-so-princely sum, you get unbridled access to historic race cars worth up to tens of millions of dollars in the all-access paddock, and general admission to basically any portion of the circuit for spectating. It's refreshing to be able to not fork over your child's college tuition just to be around some fancy cars, and at least at the Reunion at Laguna Seca, you also get to see (and hear) said storied cars rip around one of the most famous tracks in the world.
Despite being the middle of August in California, ambient temperatures at Laguna rarely rise above 80 fahrenheit (26C for you metric readers), making for comfortable viewing throughout the day as long as you remember your sunscreen. I will say, for your own warning and future planning, my friends each tried out the $20 nachos in the food court and were gravely disappointed, just FYI, so maybe bring your own food in a cooler.
While other car shows carry worldwide prestige (and entry prices to match), the Monterey Motorsports Reunion is a yearly highlight for me to see some of the most treasured racecars in history in their natural habitat. Rather than sitting still (and quietly) and detailed on a Concours lawn, banging rev limiters through the hills of Monterey owes a specialness that cannot be taken for granted. What should not be understated is the lack of the influencer and TikTok crowd at the Reunion, with this event in particular being a beacon of hope for the true car enthusiasts attending Monterey Car Week.
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